Festive building work, house moving and fledglings flying. Gotta be the December thread.

[CantSee4Looking]

Morning

It's December. Are you ready for this?
festive cleaning, decluttering and then the required throwing about of sparkly stuff in the name of the holidays? No? Yeah neither are the rest of us. But let's do this.

So we sorta follow the Fat fairy and her fly lady system. We have adapted to suit lifestyles and sometimes roll our eyes at the fluffiness of the website but we do:
1. 15mins decluttering
2. Missions and Zones
3. have a naughty corner bar but someone else can decorate it this year

All the links can be found from the launch pad

But as it is the 1st of December It is babystep 1. This one looks easy. Shine your sink.

missions are here

The zone is zone 1 which is the porch, dining room and hallway. 15minutes folks, 15 minutes. get that decluttering done.

Tuesday is planning day

And just for the crazy people Christmas missions are here

the 1st Christmas mission

Oh yeah, the disclaimers:
long running thread, regulars been here years so can seem clicky, we're not. Newbies are always welcome we just as you to be respectful

Fuzzpig actually dd would really love the reindeer too!

Glad it's been sorted Can't

Hope you are OK Blue. At least you have Christmas in your lovely new home to look forward to.

Hope you find the stand Stillwearing!

Right, 4pm here and just have time for a mug of noodle soup and 30 mins Mnsetting before hwk club finishes.

Ta da continued/...
sorted laundry
put load in td (but had to wait 20 mins for it to spin again because my wm is so arseingly sensitive that have one sheet "unbalancing the load" and it doesn't ruddy well work! [anger])
cleaned stove top and interior of microwave and bin lin while I waited
new load in wm
another load hung up
sent three organisational e-mails to people
dog walk x 2 (20 mins) - lovely mild sunny day today!
brushed dog
brushed rabbits and built them a little house out of a cardboard box with a door flap and everything and hid treats in hay
hunted without success around the house (up and down stairs) for dd's sports kit to wash [anger]
15 mins x 3 in boudoir, playroom, sitting room and hall and repeated again!
Internet Christmas shopping x 3 (all prepped last night, just had to finally decide and pay)
emptied dw
filled dw with stove top gas ring things, mini convection oven stand thing, and implements that get mucky just being there (open storage) and various fruit bowls and baking trays
emptied dw again
quick tomato sauce for tonight
prepped veg to make soup for ballet nights and weekend (to cook when I get back)

Right, just time to harness the furry one and head off to meet dd which will count as walk no. 3 although he'll need another quick 10 mins before bed tonight. Dog walking very time-consuming when dh away but necessary or he goes a bit shaky and loopy poor thing (the dog not dh ).

Tally-ho one and all!

Well it is all very well for the nun to be so blasé, SC, I too would have suffered if I hadn't done that before. Tbh I've never sent dcs in taxis without us, I suppose a black cab perhaps. I do get annoyed when those who want us to volunteer expect us to ditch our other responsibilities. It is "volunteering", for a reason. We don't sign up to be told off for being too pfb-ish!!!

Delivered Ds1's Sixth Form application to alternative college than his existing (he has already given in that one)
Took Ds2 to tuition and then Judo, lots of driving
made cauliflower cheese
washing

Just received ds2's private OT report. More bad news. I don't why I commissioned these stupid reports. It's exactly the same findings as the NHS report, yet the recommendations are completely different. How can that be? A bit like a child with asthma being told by one therapist (NHS) that they need to use an inhaler and the second report suggesting winter in the Alps. Sorry I am being blasé but how on God's earth are most people likely to find the provision suggested, in mainstream schools?? And this is a child who can run, walk, talk, play sport, write. Am I missing something? What happens to the disabled children in mainstream?
Rant over.

Linkie poos

launch pad

Friday is clean car and purse day

baby step 4

Missions

keep up with the decluttering in zone 1.

Christmas mission - this will update at midnight (ish) so best to check tomo.

Yes that's what I always think Knitting; what happens to a disabled child in the mainstream, or one who hasn't the privilege of having a patient and strong advocate like you and all the mothers on this thread fighting similar battles. It doesn't bear thinking about!

And to be fair to nun, she did (sort of) say that she would be fine on her own if I accompanied dd, but it was at patently "intense" moment of the afternoon with children clamouring for help and traffic awful. Session would have been over by the time I got back. Would not have let dd off on her own if it wasn't with lady driver though (and it's a company who we use in the office, I know some of the drivers quite well, use frequently etc).

But know what you mean, nuns can be a bit, well, relentlessly optimistic ... .

Sorry to hear it is all so frustratingly confusing with ds2 reports and recommendations etc. Totally understandable that you are angry. It must be infuriating! Like being in the middle of a maze. Can you try and hang on the fact that you are his mother, and you know him best (if that doesn't sound horribly patronising) whatever the 'experts' say. (I know that is not very helpful when you are looking to them for professional advice.)

Ta for links Can't; like the sound of tomorrow's mission!

Ta da part three/...

school run + dog-walk no.3 (50 mins)
finished making soup
finished off tomato sauce
made veggie lasagne
cleaned out vegetable box in fridge and washed
quick wipe of entire fridge
decluttered four bags of papers for recycling
hung up more washing
more washing on
cleared one table in sitting room
cleared home office desk and sorted papers in to piles
tried to find two important bits of paper but no joy
(however, dd brought her sports kit home to wash, yay!)
translated and signed forms for school
signed and copied school report
emptied bathroom and kitchen bin
took out rubbish
fed animals again
supper served and cleared up (no sign of dh who is meant to be travelling back tonight)
helped dd with natural science and Latin hwk
Masterchef
folded two loads of washing for ironing
dog walk no. 4 for (10 mins around the block)

After a 17 day more or less spent choring, the house is looking considerably better and ready for cleaners tomorrow when I will be out at (old) volunteering again + preparing for their Christmas event.

Plus finished all my Christmas shopping minus one present today and have tomorrow's supper already prepped and inroads have been made in to Mt Washmore, so mahoosively relieved to be slightly ahead of the game for once, having been so horribly behind for the past six weeks. Phew!

Boudoir and basement still need huge sort out before Christmas though and sitting room needs deep clean. But that's for another day ... .

Note to self: order Christmas tree!

G'night all!

wow is all I can say!

Dh has bought ds2's present (Black Friday Hornby)
Dd already had most of her present in form of a phone
ds1 ditto
Dh has bought me a greenhouse, for both of us (my choice)

and I have done no Xmas shopping yet apart from the party soft drinks! This must be a record for inactivity. 4 x wrapping paper, and 2 packets of Xmas cards. And some breadsticks.

My masterplan this year is to buy everyone Museum Selection Nighties. My mum bought me one for my birthday and I love it (although it has now turned grey with being washed too often) - I think anyone would love them, and they come in all styles, Elizabethan, Victoriana, Georgian...(possibly not medieval I think they didn't wear nighties then) Museum Selection Pjs might not be such a success though..

Do you have a link to those nighties?

Ds has declares his sleep meds aren't working and is due a break. He has just gone to bed

Oops well no Flying whatsoever today! Was out for a lot of the day and just needed to rest while I was here. And now can't sleep obviously.

Tomorrow my parents are coming to take me out for my birthday next week. Will try to get some stuff done before they arrive at 11 (some tidying anda particular home ed thing) and then will enjoy a nice lunch and a trip to the board game shop :o

Morning all

How can it be December already.

Will catch up on thread later and type a proper post when on the big computer not this horrible laptop!

To Do

Sort out Amazon accounts - when DS got his tablet let him use my Amazon account as no time to set up his, which actualy would have been really easy aka. when i set up Dd's. Eventualy set him up an account, problem is all the games he's downloaded are linked to the amazon account. Now need to try and swap e-mail's so ds's is on his e-mail and I can put my credit card back on to 'mine'! I hate technology.

Can't think any more, need to get Dd off FNAF on You Tube and ready for school!

Back later with better post.

Morning! Raining and miserable here and another broken night because dh arrived back in early hrs and was hungry. Sorry you have had a broken night too Can't

Knitting I'm only organised on Christmas shopping front because lots are being sent in parcels to UK and elsewhere and am trying to economise on postage and sending early, and a considerable chunk are for office folk who hot desk randomly and work in different countries as well as here, so some will be departing on 8th for example and won't see them again until NY. And I don't have 3 dc and I'm not organising a party!

Hope you have a lovely celebration with your parents Fuzzpig

Shannara good luck sorting technological puzzle!

Big waves to everyone else!

Morning all!

I'll join those of you tearing hair out with frustration at technology. My laptop updated itself yesterday and now everything seems to refresh constantly, which means it keeps stopping me typing. It's driving me mad

Anyway. Sleepy this morning, achy (hurt my arm somehow and period pain aaargh) but I have 90mins til parents are due, so hopefully I can get something done

Feathery waves and all that.

Today's aim was to finish the Christmas shopping. I failed. I completely forgot 1 shop and they had discontinued something I wanted in another and was too blooming tired by that time to think straight and sort an alternative. So will have to sort that out at some point.

Ds is in a strop because he has to stay in his room due to building work. I can't even get into the kitchen to get a coffee. Christmas fair #2 is tonight. And I have to figure out how to be out of the house all day tomo Not as easy as it sounds in this weather. Ideas on a postcard?

Had coffee with a colleague this morning, followed by some Christmas shopping, and some aimless meandering.

More parcels have been delivered - but still not the big one that got lost, refunded and re-ordered, and now has been lost, refunded and re-ordered again. But from a different supplier, and in a different colour. Sigh.

Is a virtual any good? Cant Sorry I can't help with the real thing!

Would be nice blue thank you. Sorry you are having so many problems with parcels :( I have avoided amazon after the problems of the last parcel but it does mean shopping hell in town.

The current plan tomo is to sort ds' room so he can have christmas decorations, and if need be and the weather permits we might go for a drive and see christmas lights

Anyone shopping in town is very, erm, brave! :o My parents took us out today, I'm feeling rather spoilt after a gorgeous lunch and spending a little of my birthday money (on board games... obviously). Quite achy now but happy achy IYSWIM.

I guess everywhere will be crazily busy tomorrow Cant not sure what you can do! Erm... cinema or bowling or something to kill a little time? Garden centre type place? Everywhere costs so much though. I was hoping to go to the cinema on my birthday next week - DH is working in the morning so I thought it'd kill some time til we meet him - but they aren't showing what I thought they would (the good dinosaur). Hmmph.

Brave is not the word I would use fuzzpig insane would probably be the word I chose. Tbf I hate any kinda of shopping all year round well except wool and fabric shopping Christmas doesn't really change my hatred of shopping.

Very early morning to you all (ie it's still nighttime & I should be sleeping)

Sink not shined. But tree up & decorated by DS & me this evening. Zero present shopping done so impressed by you ladies doing the town braving & all that

House v cluttered with all that tat that comes down with the decorations - scraps of tinsel, broken ornaments, boxes etc

X

Fence mended, and rock solid.

So thankful the landscaper turned up on Friday, it was a miracle! The winds are really strong now. I was saying to dh this morning, who was feeling a bit anxious about his birthday, work, children you name it, imagine you are fence which was a bit wobbly but now has been mended with concrete and withstands the strongest gusts We listened to the wind blowing feeling all smug and secure, twas an interesting visualisation.

And did I say we had a decision on the EHCP??? Yay, more to do, but most important step taken in the right direction. Need to do lots of photocopying today though

I went to a genteel dinner party for ladies only last night, witnessed an incredibly hardworking professional friend/acquaintance getting blind drunk. Really shocking to see the wine working on her over course of the evening. And I've seen her on two other occasions really downing the bottles. Is this a problem for middleaged women, not realising that the wine is affecting you so badly? Slurring words, losing thread, stumbling, whilst continuing with a glass of wine in her hand. Happily married, steady job (two jobs actually) 2 teenagers doing well in college. Don't really know what to do next. Dh said I should just drink more myself and I wouldn't notice Admittedly I drank nothing except sparkling water so maybe I was more critical but I think other people noticed too, the host certainly was "looking after" the guest as if aware something was wrong.

Dh's birthday today. Cards, and a sick daughter, dd has high fever and very sore throat, but paracetemol seems to be helping, painkillers do really seem to suppress. Also difflam for her throat. She's had hot milk and honey and looking a bit brighter.

Ds1 has gone off to his drama this morning, hoping he won't mind if I see the performance later (workshop style) he told me NOT to come.

Can't google Museum Selection and then follow to clothes, I cannot do links at all.

Knitting - hope DD feels better soon

Here Cant (assuming that's what you meant knitting! :))

Afternoon. Goedemiddag. Bon ap.

Grumpy because I have to go to a "function". And I have to gussy myself up [yawn] And I can't fit in to my stand-by black trousers.

Also need to get sitting room and presents organised and wrapped ready for St Nicolas's arrival tomorrow morning (at least floors were hoovered and mopped yesterday).

I do ALL of my Christmas shopping (apart from a few local chocolate items and food specialities) exclusively on-line. I visit rl shops as little as humanly possible. I'm with you Can't shopping (especially in indoor shopping centres) is my idea of hell on earth. I always get too hot and flustered and all the lights seem to make a funny high-pitched squeaking noise (yes, I know, I am the only person (apart from one of my sisters) that seems to be able to hear this!) and after 10 mins I have this desperate urge to run for the hills and fresh air. I do occasionally let dd drag me to H&M or Zara but only under duress.

Speaking of dd, she is "embedded" in revision in her room. Exams next week. Really impressed by how well she has caught up but she is very stressed atm and cramming like mad, poor thing. She had remedial maths session at school yesterday so hopefully that will have helped a bit.

Sorry to hear your dd is ill Knitting I hope she feels better soon! And I hope your dh is not too stressed to enjoy his birthday!

Won't go in to details on here (too identifying) but dh and I have a female friend (more of an acquaintance now really) of our age who is more or less (as far as one can tell) a functioning alchoholic. Very driven professional forceful person. But obviously unhappy. Never out of control to the extent of your fellow supper guest Knitting but obviously dependent and totally in denial (again as far as one can tell). Very sad.

Although I suppose no-one would turn a hair if your fellow guest had been a man. But I admit to being terribly old-fashioned and still don't like seeing women drunk and worry about how young female friends of my nephew's put themselves in horribly vulnerable situations when they drink so much. Will worry when dd gets to that age, but less of that sort of drinking culture over here by all accounts (although still some problems with ingrained university initiation rites involving far too much alcohol that get out of hand)

Still wearing v impressed that you have your tree up! Haven't ordered mine yet!

Hope you manage to stay out of the way of the builders today Can't and not get too tired/cold in the process!

Glad to hear you had a lovely birthday celebration yesterday Fuzz

Sorry to hear parcel saga ongoing Blue

Right, had better go and see what's in the wardrobe that I can stuff the bulging bod in to ... harrumph ... .

Big waves to everyone in the coop or hovering around about! Hope you have a good a w/e as poss!

Knitting links are dead, dead easy - honest! It will only take you two minutes to work it out, I promise!

(See instructions at bottom of this page under Links!)

You can either just put two square brackets at the front and rear of a link to show the actual link itself

or

you can put two square brackets at the front of a link, then the link itself, then a space and whatever you want to say, such as, "Museum Selection nighties here" and then close with two more square brackets

i.e.

www.museumselection.co.uk/nightwear-deptnightwear/

Museum Selection nighties here

HTH!

SC when is sinterklaus due? Soon isn't it?

Ds is cross, ever so cross with me. I am making him tidy his room and if he leaves me to do it I have refused and walked off to do something else. Apparently I am being unreasonable to ask him to put his clothes away Wait til he gets to the washing lego bit...

[www.museumselection]

museumselection